does anyone know of any alternative meds for rheumatoid arthritis besides vitamin D? I have ordered a good multivitamin for my husband but am interested in herbs for healing. not much info out there for autoimmune diseases and herbs.

I haven't posted here for a few months because I wanted to give an honest, personal response to your very question. I'm on Remicade, MTX & prednisone. I, too, wanted to find an alternative that wasn't so toxic. I read a lot and researched and found a few natural "remedies." Honestly, even tho I've been ingesting these alternatives regularly, I don't feel any better than I did without them. MAYBE I would have degenerated more if I had never added them to my daily diet, but here I am, due for my infusion in 7 days, and I feel like a always feel at this point: achy, swollen, negative. I'm going to keep taking the alternatives but my hope of getting off the RA meds and relying on the alternatives hasn't happened. What I added to my diet is: Fish Oil (not fish liver oil, just plain fish oil), curcumin, more MSM + glucosamine, B-complex, vitamin D, spirulina. All of these products are super healthy for any person, but supposedly even more helpful for those of us who have RA. I'm going to keep taking these products because I think my body likes them, but I'm pretty sure they aren't enough to get off the RA drugs. I am now researching parasites because there is a mountain of info saying parasites are present in most people but especially in those of us who have an auto-immune disease, like RA. Hope this was at least a little helpful for your husband. Bye for now ~ Little Libby

I would not recommend herbal/dietary substitutions for the medications that he needs for the RA.But if you want something to use in conjunction with medication, then-first ask your doctor before taking anything because there can be serious interactions.Omega 3 fatty acidsAnti inflamatory dietlimit sugar, beef, nightshade vegetables-depending on which ones effect him-some people are sensitive some aren't.

Medications: Currently not that many are taken daily, but there are many at my disposal for part-time use. Low dose pain medication, after years at high doses. Working on innovative ways of taking lesser-known pharmaceuticals and non-prescription supplements to maximum benefit.

Right sklgy. I absolutely agree. When I re-read my post just now I see I wasn't clear enough in saying that I'm taking the supplements in addition to my RA meds ~ NOT instead of. And I did check with my rheumatologist first to be sure it was OK to take the supplements. Thanks for helping to clarify my post. I appreciate it. Little Libby

I've had RA for close to 50 years and I'm only 56!!! I was on dr meds for many years and finally had enough especially with thenew crap they have out there that can actually kill you. Kidney and liver damage and failure, brain problems, heart problems,blood problems, various types of cancer, etc. I'd rather hurt and be alive. I use Darvacet when I can absolutely Not kill it withmy herbs.

For a cheap and good fix....Gin and Raisins. Just like on Paul Harvey! Take Golden Raisins and soak them in generic gin fora week and then take 9 a day. It really does work. Bromelain is a natural inflammatory.Yucca Root is a natural steroid.Bio-Sil will rebuild cartalidge worn down from years of use in the joints.Super Cissus RX will rebuild muscle and tendon damage from use and stress in joints. Has a natural painkiller built into plant.

There are many good herbal books out there. Prescription for Natural Healing is my herbal bible. I now have 7 really goodbooks on herbs and many pamphlets on herbs. There is so much out there by Mother Nature that drs have no clue about.My heart specialist is the only one who was into alternative and with what I was taking and what he recommended I haven'ttaken any meds for the ticker in 4 years.....I was on Toprol and Nitro!

Nana Monster said...I've had RA for close to 50 years and I'm only 56!!! I was on dr meds for many years and finally had enough especially with thenew crap they have out there that can actually kill you. Kidney and liver damage and failure, brain problems, heart problems,blood problems, various types of cancer, etc. I'd rather hurt and be alive. I use Darvacet when I can absolutely Not kill it withmy herbs.

For a cheap and good fix....Gin and Raisins. Just like on Paul Harvey! Take Golden Raisins and soak them in generic gin fora week and then take 9 a day. It really does work. Bromelain is a natural inflammatory.Yucca Root is a natural steroid.Bio-Sil will rebuild cartalidge worn down from years of use in the joints.Super Cissus RX will rebuild muscle and tendon damage from use and stress in joints. Has a natural painkiller built into plant.

There are many good herbal books out there. Prescription for Natural Healing is my herbal bible. I now have 7 really goodbooks on herbs and many pamphlets on herbs. There is so much out there by Mother Nature that drs have no clue about.My heart specialist is the only one who was into alternative and with what I was taking and what he recommended I haven'ttaken any meds for the ticker in 4 years.....I was on Toprol and Nitro!

Nana Monster

Hi Nana Monster,

I will definitely try your suggestions.. Of course we will continue the meds but if we can eventually wean him off methotrexate, that would be great! I think we will try the Yucca Root and Bromelain (hubby says he would rather eat the pineapples than take the supplement). What do you think ... do you think he would be better off eating the whole food rather than just the extract? He is really feeling his arthritis in his knee and elbow. What do you think of vinegar for help with calcium absorption?

When it was just the arthritis the bromelain did more for me. Now with the fibro issues too I find the malic acid, super cissus rx,and bio-sil make the most difference. They say that it's because of the pineapple consumption that Hawaii has such a low incidence of arthritis.

There huge research on fish oil out there now. We're suppose to take massive doses though, it acts like a natural steroid, my rheumy put me on to it, I went off for a while and noticed the difference. But make sure its a good fish oil not onelikely to have mercury in it!I think we're suppose to take 13g per day, but look it up. that seems too much writing it down. I take 6 capsules daily of a mega strentgh capsule.My son was put on pineapple as a natural anti inflammatory for eczeema, so maybe I will join him!Tumeric can be bought as a supplement capsule too, just look in the health food stores. Curcumin is the active ingredient.

I worry about the toxicity of all the meds too but any time I've had to come off them the flare has been impossible, I feel scared to stop and scared to keep going. My reumy points out the very small percentage of people who develop these major side effects, so I can only trust her and hope I'm not one of the few!

In my opinion, if an alternative medication was found to be effective, it would no longer be classed as alternative, as a double blind clinical study would confirm it's efficacy and it would enter the arsenal of available anti-arthritic treatments!

Not only are alternative meds easier on the stomach and pocketbook they are plant based and from Mother Nature.Most reg drugs are synthetic, filled with chemicals and can damage or kill you. Besides if you went with plants, wherewould the drs get their kickbacks from? I don't think Mother Nature can match the pharmacutical companies.

Jay, Sorry to disavow this but I worked in a plastics factory for nearly 5 years and the smell of the burning plastic as we molded several machines not only worked to kill my immune system but wrecked havoc on my sinuses. I work in a nursing home kitchen now for the last 11 years and can breathe. Also, what about the chemical that they are findingin water bottles? which is added material. Personally, delrin (sp?) was one of the worst I've encountered They wereburning out a machine and I ended up unable to breathe, outside hyperventelating and tears streaming down my face.It was pure hell as I had absolutely NO lung power at all.Nana Monster

I'm sorry, the plastic example was merely illustrative :) I was specifically referring to ingestion of these items. There isn't any valid distinction between "natural" and "man-made", that's all I'm saying.

Natural remedies CAN help arthritis - GOLD for example is an older, but effective treatment for Arthritis.

Daft magnetic bracelets are _Alternative_ remedies, and of course do not work. If they did, then my Rheumy would have prescribed one.

Hey James there is seemingly a heap of research being done or been done on fish oil. My rheumy showed me the findings and after my last flare the hospital also recomended it. So there you go. Its being promoted in Australia, maybe hasn't reached the UK mainstream yet? golitho

Just to join in on the discussion, fish oil was supposedly the popular thing a few years (or more) back in the U.S. and the hype has all died down, from what I've seen and heard. My docs didn't seem to take it seriously but said I could try it if I wanted to, since I asked. Didn't do anything for me. That doesn't mean it won't work for others. Maybe they haven't figured out the right dose for people to take yet in the U.S. I would be all for taking natural remedies if I'd seen evidence of any of them working. I agree with Jay that natural does not guarantee safe and, unfortunately, there is much less control over the natural remedies that are out there. I'd rather have the FDA know what side effects I can get and what to watch for rather than blindly eating or drinking something just because it comes from nature. I also agree with Jay that if there was really evidence that something works, there would be more research on it and it would be something that doctors know to use. I don't think that doctors (at least not most of them) are all about money and that they would allow their patients to suffer when there are other options out there, just because they want commission from the pharmaceutical companies. Crohn's Disease with Arthritis, Non-Erosive Reflux Disease, Gastritis, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Endometriosis, Depression/Anxiety

Well put Zena - and regarding Doctors' agendas, in England there are no commissions or kick-backs from pharmaceutical companies.... at all.

All prescription medications are £7 ($10) for a month supply, regardless of dose or cost. (I.e. if you're prescribed 50 Tramadol over a month, it's £7. If you're prescribed 100 Tramadol, it's £7.)

The fact is, the causes behind RA/PsA are reasonably well established, and the only way a remedy can ease the condition is if it has some mode of action on the immune system. Whether fish oil does or doesn't, I don't know, but off the top of my head, I'd say it seems unlikely!21, Male, England.Dx: Psoriatic Arthritis, Chronic Back Pain, DyspraxiaRx: 25mg Methotrexate Sub-Cut Injection & 50mg Etanercept (Enbrel) Sub-Cut Injection

ugggh- I can't bear to try fish oil as I hate the taste of fish and have heard the supplements give you fish burps. Disgusting.

I wouldn't mind trying tumeric if it tastes like pickles.

Honestly tho- I'm not a fan of supplements. I think they are a waste of money if they are in pill form. I think it's necessary to get the proper nutrition from the foods you eat.

My husband is on a ton for his real or imagined "conditions". When he runs out of them and they are on my grocery bill I cringe. I hate spending the money because he has more complaints/pains than me with a dx of RA while taking all this crap. Saw palmetto, Garlic, baby aspirin, mega doses Vitamin C, regular multi vitamin, etc., etc.

Believe it or not the magnets DO work. If at all possible go with the omni-directional ones. I had them and had to "tape" themonto the afflicted part of the body...unfortunately I lost my last one and haven't been able to find a replacement yet. I gotthem at the Army base in Ft. Drum.

I've found over the years many drs and pharmacists have no clue as to the herbal side. I've been lucky and have been going to an herbal shop in Syracuse, NY for about 30 years now. This last time I lucked out and got a body builder whohad the same problems with his knee that I did. He got me on Super Cissus RX and Bio-Sil and what a difference. I wentfrom not being able to work an 8 hour day to doing 12's with no problem. I'm in dishroom of 200 bed nursing home so it'sa very physical job.

Weary,Saw Palmetto is to help with the prostrate, garlic is an immune booster along with the Vit C and of course, asprin helpsto prevent heart attacks.

I accept the value of vitamins etc, but I do believe (as various studies confirm) that they are only effective in their original form. Vitamin tablets as an adjunct to diet are almost completely ineffective in my opinion.21, Male, England.Dx: Psoriatic Arthritis, Chronic Back Pain, DyspraxiaRx: 25mg Methotrexate Sub-Cut Injection & 50mg Etanercept (Enbrel) Sub-Cut Injection